Tech billionaire Elon Musk has confirmed his “scheduled time” as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has “come to an end.”
Due to his role as a ‘special government employee’, Musk could only work 130 days a year for the federal government. In April, he claimed reports he was leaving DOGE were “fake news.”
Musk said he “thank[s] President [Donald Trump] for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.”
DOGE will continue to operate despite Musk’s departure.
DOGE
DOGE was announced by U.S. President Donald Trump shortly after his election. The department is designed to “slash excess regulations... and restructure Federal Agencies”.
Until now, it has been led by Musk.
As of its latest update, DOGE claims it has saved the government $US175 billion ($AU270 billion).
These savings have come from cutting funding for federal departments, including the U.S. Agency for International Development. Approximately 15 of its 10,000 employees will keep their jobs.
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In January, Musk claimed DOGE had also “saved taxpayers over $1 billion in crazy [diversity, equity and inclusion] contracts.”
Trump and Musk
While Musk has played a prominent role in the current Trump administration, in an interview with CBS on Wednesday, he said he was “disappointed” with Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’.
The Act aims to extend tax cuts and increase the total amount of debt the government can have. “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful… but I don't know if it can be both,” Musk said.
He said the “massive spending” in the bill “undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”
Future
Despite Musk’s departure, DOGE is intended to operate until 4 July 2026.
On Thursday Musk said: “The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
The White House has not announced who will succeed Musk.
